


I’ll Be Home For Christmas

by Laetiindisguise



Series: Lovers Alone Wear Sunlight [2]
Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Missing Persons, carl the dog - Freeform, life at the farm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-06 07:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5408459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laetiindisguise/pseuds/Laetiindisguise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With less than two days until Christmas, Lee is looking forward to spending the holiday at the farm with Richard. There is one little problem though... He doesn't know where Richard is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I’ll Be Home For Christmas

 

 

The glass was cold against his forehead as Lee banged his head repeatedly on the frosted window. He stared at the heavy snow that was falling in the raging storm outside. His stomach twisted in worry, and he forced a few deep breaths in and out in a desperate yet useless attempt to calm his nerves.

Richard was out there, somewhere, stuck in the storm. Or not.

Lee gave a loud groan as he let go of the light brown linen curtain and moved away from the window. Glaring at the horrible weather wouldn’t change anything. It was winter in the state of New York, and snow storms were unfortunately a common occurrence. If only Richard had listened to him and stayed here rather than get on that stupid plane.

Lee sighed as he walked by the table, fingers brushing the heavy wooden table they had recently bought together. He had tried to talk him out of flying to London this close to Christmas, but Richard’s agent had insisted he had to meet that producer as they had a big film coming and were very interested in working with Richard.

“I thought we were going to go up to the farm and spend Christmas there together!” Lee had whined, quite unlike himself. “Pick a tree, decorate the house, enjoy the countryside.” They had both finished work for the year, and Lee had been looking forward to spending a couple of weeks with the man he loved, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, away from the scrutiny of people and the media. It was to be their first Christmas on their own, just the two of them, no family. Just them, a lot of mulled wine and chocolate and hot sex on that fluffy new rug by the fire. At least that was what Lee had hoped.

Richard had sighed, frustration flashing in his eyes as he had glanced at Lee. “You know I can’t say no to such an offer. I’ve finally reached that point in my career where interesting and exciting things are coming my way, rather than having to chase them myself, and I’m not going to miss that opportunity.”

“I know that! And I’m happy for you. You know I am. I’m not asking you to turn down any offers for me, Richard. I’m just saying it’s bad timing, that’s all! It’s Christmas!”

“It’s the 19th December, Lee. I’ll only be gone a couple of days. I’ll be back in time for Christmas, don’t worry,” Richard had replied with a tired sigh, shoving a few pairs of socks into his tiny suitcase. “It’s not like we have anything planned anyway, we’re just going to the farm,” he had added with a shrug.

Lee had flopped down on the bed, defeated and slightly hurt. It may be a small and quiet Christmas, but Lee had been looking forward to that time with Richard for ages. He had imagined the long walks in the forest, cold biting their cheeks, and coming home to the warmth of the logs slowly burning in the fireplace, the Christmas tree’s lights glittering in the corner, casting a warm glow over the room. He had pictured long evenings cuddled on the couch, sipping wine, reading or catching up on their favorite TV shows, lazy mornings in bed. Just enjoying each other, basically. And then he had been robbed of it all, and had felt like a child being denied his perfect Christmas. The worst part was that Richard hadn’t seemed to care at all.

He hadn’t shared any of those thoughts with Richard, but the man had still left in a mood, closing the door of the apartment a bit harder than was necessary.

Now Lee was at the farm on his own, with less than two days left until Christmas, and Richard still hadn’t returned. A massive snow storm had reached the east coast of the United States quite earlier than the meteorologists had expected, the blizzard forcing all planes to the ground, airports on lockdown until the storm stopped and runways could be cleared.

Lee had checked on the company’s website, Richard’s afternoon flight had been cancelled. Lee was growing more and more restless as the older man wouldn’t answer his texts and his calls were going straight to voicemail. Richard had left him a message earlier that day while Lee had still been asleep, mentioning catching an earlier flight if he could, but Lee had received no confirmation or update as to whether he had managed to or not. So really, he had no idea whatsoever where Richard was. He could be in London, he could be in New York, or god forbid, at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean after his plane had crashed, caught in the storm.

Lee let out another wail of frustration, falling onto the sofa and cradling his head, anxious fingers tugging at his hair as he tried to calm himself down. He felt Carl jump onto the sofa next to him, and lifted one hand to pet the dog’s head. Carl was looking at him, whining softly, as if sensing his owner’s distress. The pointer dog rested his head on Lee’s thigh, and Lee felt a sudden rush of gratitude.

“Where do you think he is, Carl? And why can’t I reach him? What’s going on??” Not knowing was the worst part. He stared at the phone, willing it to ring to bring him news. Any news. Even news of Richard being stuck in London. It would suck having to spend Christmas away from each other, but at least he would know that his lover was safe. And if he had caught that earlier plane and reached New York before the blizzard, then why hadn’t he called to say so? That flight should have landed ages ago anyway. For all he knew, Richard could be at home in New York, waiting for the snow to stop falling before making the journey up to the farm.

Lee reached over Carl for his phone on the coffee table and hit the speech bubble icon. He typed another message to Richard, aware that he was repeating himself. _‘Where are you? Are you ok? Please contact me ASAP. I love you. Be safe.’_

With another heavy sigh, Lee leaned back into the couch, his head resting against the back. He went back to scratching Carl’s ear absentmindedly, phone clutched tightly in his other hand. He let his eyes roam all over the living room. Everything in it reminded him of Richard, of moments spent together, of laughter and half-hearted arguments, of soft kisses and passionate embraces. The big table they had bought during a weekend trip in Maine; it had been perfect to welcome Lee’s family at the farm for Thanksgiving. No pieces of furniture matched the other. They had bought them from various places because they had liked them individually, and they made a peculiar ensemble. But it worked. It gave the room a cozy and warm atmosphere. Everything in the room had a story, like the painting on the wall by the stairs. It had been made by a local artist, a charming old lady who also ran a small tearoom in town, and made the best cinnamon rolls Lee had ever tasted.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Lee forced himself to close his eyes. Everything reminded him of Richard’s absence. He did his best to focus his mind on other things. He thought about what was awaiting him in the new year. He had several projects to work on, two films and a third season of his show. He would be spending a lot of time away from home. He would have to get someone to water that orchid Richard had bought at the flower market before he left.

Hit by a sudden bout of inspiration, Lee sat up abruptly. Ignoring Carl’s protest at being woken up, he slid his finger across the screen of his phone and scrolled down his contact list until he found the one he was looking for. He gnawed on his lip, wishing for the person on the other hand of the line to pick up already.

_“Hello?”_

“Rachel!” Lee exclaimed, relieved to hear the voice of their neighbor in New York. “Hi! It’s Lee!”

_“Oh hi, how are-“_

“Sorry to bother you Rachel,” Lee cut in, “but have you seen Richard? Is he home?!”

 _“Err... I don’t know.”_ She sounded confused by the urgency in his voice. _“Aren’t you guys supposed to be at the farm for the holidays?”_

“We are. I mean, I am. He went to London and was supposed to come back today,” Lee explained hurriedly. “Could you check, please? I can’t reach him and I need to make sure he’s ok.”

_“Yeah sure, hang on.”_

Lee listened closely to the sound of her footsteps as she walked to the door of her apartment, opened it, and crossed the corridor. He was on his feet pacing the living room by the time he heard her knock on the door of his and Richard’s apartment, and ran his hand through his hair, pulling hard.

He couldn’t take it anymore. “So??”

_“Sorry Lee, nothing. I can’t hear anything inside either. I don’t think he’s here.”_

Lee felt his throat tighten and tears prickle at the back of his eyes. He swallowed hard. “Ok thanks anyway Rachel. Merry Christmas.”

 _“I’m sure he’s fine,”_ she offered in a vain attempt to comfort him but it only made the lump in Lee’s throat grow bigger. _“I’ll let you know if I see or hear anything.”_

“Thanks, Rachel. Bye.” He hung up and fought the urge to hurl his phone across the room.

He was running out of ideas. He had called Richard’s agent and left a message begging her to call him back as soon as she got it. So far, she hadn’t. He had called Richard’s parents and brother on the off chance they had received news, but had to disguise his call as holiday wishes in order to not alarm them. They had not heard from him, and hadn’t even known Richard was in England. Oops. He had even called both Heathrow and JFK to make sure no plane was lost. All planes were accounted for, they had assured him. Yes, they were certain of it. Many were stranded overseas, but there had been no accident, no delay, no crash, and no terrorist attack. That hadn’t stopped him from restlessly refreshing the news website on his laptop all day.

As the day had gone by at an excruciatingly slow pace, and the sun had set with no news from anyone about Richard’s whereabouts, Lee had decided this was definitely the worst day of his life. He felt horrible for the way they had parted. They hadn’t really argued, but he could tell Richard had been annoyed and feeling bad at the same time. Lee had taken the news of his work trip like a spoiled child, and regretted it. He should have gone to London with Richard. That would have been the grown up thing to do. All he had wanted was to spend time with Richard. Who said it had to be here at the farm. And London was lovely at this time of the year. And they would be together now, wherever that was…

“Aaaaargh!!!” Lee slapped his head over and over with the heel of his hand, trying to stop the rush of obsessive thoughts. “You need to stop this Lee! Rich is fine!” he tried to reason with himself. “He’ll show up eventually with a perfect explanation and you will feel stupid for being worried sick!”

He glanced at Carl who was sprawled on the couch, the dog’s eyes following him as he kept walking back and forth. “Right Carl?” Carl lifted his head and let out a soft whine. “Right.” Lee nodded and sat back down. He checked his phone for any missed calls or messages, even though the device hadn’t been ringing, beeping or buzzing for the past few hours.

Lee did his best to busy his mind with other things. He tried reading a book but gave up after reading the same paragraph a dozen times, unable to focus on the words. He flicked through the latest issue of Time magazine that had Richard’s name on it and had arrived at the apartment after he’d left. He tried listening to music, but it quickly got on his nerves. He turned on the TV, flicking through channels, lingering on a children Christmas cartoon for a while before settling on the news.

Coverage of the snow storm was today’s top story. New York looked like a ghost town, the roads deserted of all pedestrians except for a few who were buried knee-high in the snow, struggling to reach the warmth and safety of their home before dark. Cars were stuck in the middle of the streets, abandoned. Images of planes lined on the runways at JFK and La Guardia appeared on the screen and Lee listened closely for any mention of a crash, but none came. All flights had been cancelled or redirected to cities further south that hadn’t been reached by the storm yet.

Lee perked up at this new bit of information, lunging for his laptop again to check the status of all flights scheduled to come from London tonight in the hope of finding one that had been sent somewhere else. After ten minutes of intense and hopeful research, Lee closed his laptop, once again defeated. All flights had either landed as planned before the storm hit the area in the early afternoon, or had been cancelled.

Where was Richard then?! Why hadn’t he called?

As the hours passed, Lee grew terribly restless and felt sick with worry. Nothing managed to divert his attention from Richard, no matter how hard he tried. The TV had turned itself off after a few hours of not touching the remote, and Lee was lying upside down on the couch, his legs dangling off the back and his head hanging from the seat, unblinking eyes staring at the clock on the bluray player. 2:05am. His stomach rumbled angrily, but he ignored it. He had tried to eat in the evening, but the food hadn’t gone down well, and he had given up after a few bites. Carl was sleeping beside him, his presence Lee’s only comfort.

He must have fallen asleep at some point. He found himself curled in a tight ball on the floor, his head resting on the plush carpet between the couch and the coffee table, hugging both his laptop and phone. He frantically checked his phone, afraid he had missed something, and blinked furiously until his vision cleared. Richard smiled back at him from his screen background, and Lee felt a painful pang in his chest. It was 7:48 am, December 24th, and still no news.

He felt tears running down his cheeks and wiped them off in an angry gesture, sniffing loudly. Maybe Richard had been really pissed off by Lee’s reaction to him going to London and had simply decided not to come back. They were over. Lee hadn’t been supportive enough.

Lee shook his head, clearing his thoughts. No. Of course not. Richard wouldn’t do that. Not like that. He knew him well enough to know that if Richard ever felt the need to break up with him – may that day never come – he would be the kind of person to tell him face to face. He wouldn’t deliberately choose to make Lee worry for him.

Lee rubbed at his eyes and massaged his temples. He could feel the beginning of a headache. He slapped his cheeks to wake himself up a bit more, and dragged his feet to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He glanced out of the window and couldn’t help admiring the sight. Everything was glowing white and gold as the sun slowly came up, the thick layer of snow sparkling like a million diamonds. Snow and ice were clinging to the trees and icicles were hanging from the barn’s roof. It was beautiful. Were the circumstances any different, Lee would be rushing outside with his camera to take photographs of it all. But right now he hated it. He hated how eerily quiet it was. He hated that Richard wasn’t here to enjoy it with him.

He moved back to the couch and sat down, cradling the warm mug of coffee, and let his mind wander. If Richard were here, they would probably still be in bed, warm and safe. Lee would wake up first; he usually did, although Richard would claim to be the first one up, which was also true. Lee always woke up in the early hours of the morning and allowed himself a few minutes to look at the gorgeous man lying next to him, radiating warmth, carefree in his sleep. Even now, over three and a half years into their relationship, Lee still found himself wondering why Richard had chosen him, when he could have had anyone he wanted. He would run his fingers along Richard’s thin, long nose, across his cheeks, barely touching, feeling the beard or stubble. He would lay butterfly kisses on his fluttering eyelids, before snuggling closer and falling back asleep, comforted.

He was pulled back to the rough reality by Carl jumping off the couch and barking loudly, running to the front door. Startled, Lee put his now cold and untouched coffee down on the table and dashed to the door, hope blooming in his heart. Carl was still barking and impatiently scratching at the wood as Lee reached him and he wrenched the door open. A loud gasp escaped his lips.

Richard was standing on the porch, looking utterly miserable. His hair was sticking to his forehead under a thick layer of snowflakes and ice. His nose and cheeks were an angry red, his eyes watery and bloodshot. His coat was heavy with snow, and he looked exhausted.

Just as Richard was opening his mouth to talk, Lee threw himself at the man and squeezed the life out of him. He let out a loud, strangled sob which was muffled by the soft cashmere scarf wrapped around Richard’s neck. Lee buried his face further into Richard, refusing to let him go, afraid it was all just a dream.

He felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his back, and warmth spread through his body, all the way to his toes and the tip of his nose. Richard was safe. He hadn’t drowned in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. He hadn’t been blown up by some crazy fanatic. He hadn’t left him without a word. He was safe. And he was home.

“Mmm you’re so warm,” said a small, quivering voice in his ear. Lee jerked away, Richard’s state suddenly downing on him, and he pulled the other man inside, quickly closing the door behind him.

“Jesus Christ Richard you’re freezing! Where the hell have you been! I was worried sick! Look at you! I thought I’d lost you!” Lee blurted out, tugging at the soggy scarf around his neck and nearly ripping off all the buttons from Richard’s coat in his haste to rid him of the wet garments.

Lee glanced up at the lack of answer. Richard was gazing at him, eyelids heavy and red with lack of sleep. “Sorry. I got stuck in the-” A loud sneeze escaped him, followed by a violent shiver, “snow.” He sniffed and rubbed his arms in a desperate attempt to warm himself.

“Oh god.” Lee crouched down to help Richard remove his shoes, hesitated a second, and yanked down his wet trousers too before dragging him to the couch. He grabbed the big woolen blanket his mother had knitted for them last Christmas and wrapped it tightly around Richard’s shoulders. He ran to the chimney and started the fire again, then dashed upstairs to get a towel for Richard’s hair, before going to the kitchen to make Richard a warm cup of tea.

Richard followed his every move with big eyes, without a word. He was buried up to the nose in the blanket, his feet up on the couch and legs inside his warm cocoon as well. He extracted a hand to take the steaming mug from Lee, and hissed as his frozen fingers wrapped around the scalding hot mug.

Lee sat down close to Richard, one arm snaking around his boyfriend, eager to feel him, to make sure he was real. By the time Richard had drunk half his tea and his hair and face had started defrosting, Lee couldn’t take it anymore.

“What happened? Where were you? How did you get here? Why didn’t you answer my calls? Why-”

Richard bit his lip, a sheepish look on his face. “I’m so sorry baby, you must have been worried sick.”

Lee gave a loud sigh, nodding rather than answering. He didn’t trust his voice not to break right now.

Richard leaned forward to put his empty mug down on the table, and lifted one side of the blanket in an inviting gesture. Lee accepted the offer immediately, snuggling close and sighing in comfort and relief as Richard wrapped the blanket around the two of them. Lee closed his eyes and smiled, his throat tight, as Richard kissed the top of his head, holding him tight.

“So?” Lee asked in a small voice. He ran one of his hands up and down Richard’s bare leg, enjoying the feeling of his soft skin and hair against his fingers. “Are you going to tell me how you made it from London all the way here in this goddamn blizzard? Did you teleport? Because if you did I totally want you to teleport us to Hawaii right now!”

Richard gave a soft laugh, and Lee felt his heart swell in his chest at the sound. “I did not. I wish I had. It would have saved me the worst trip of my life.”

“How then? Did you manage to catch that early flight you mentioned?”

“Yes, I did. It was very last minute. The meeting finished early, so I jumped on the plane minutes before it took off. It was a real piece of luck too, as news of the storm were all over the airport and they were trying to decide whether or not it would be safe to let us go, if we would make it on time to JFK. It turns out we did. Only just. Snow was already falling thick and the plane actually skidded slightly as we touched the ground. Scariest landing ever, I’m telling you.”

Lee smiled, amused rather than worried by the tale now that Richard was safely here on the couch with him.

“Unfortunately, that was the easiest part of my journey.” Richard continued with an involuntary shiver. His hand was still very cold in Lee’s. Lee took it up to his mouth and kissed each knuckle, squeezing it tight, and was rewarded with a tired but grateful smile. “So there I was at JFK, storm picking up speed and in intensity. All the taxis had disappeared and the few that were still around refused to take clients. I tried to bribe one with a massive wad of ten pound notes but he just glared at me as if I was insane for even considering going out in this weather.”

“Silly British tourist,” Lee joked.

“That’s probably what he thought,” Richard laughed. “I was slowly resolving myself to the idea of spending the night at the airport. I had no way out, and no way to contact anyone.” He seemed to anticipate Lee’s question as he added, “My phone died while on the plane, and I must have forgotten my charger at the hotel. I felt horrible because I knew you’d be wondering where I was and why I hadn’t called you.”

“Why didn’t you though? You could have borrowed someone else’s phone…” Lee said, unable to hide the faint tone of reproach in his voice. He immediately regretted it as one glance at Richard showed just how exhausted the man was after what seemed to be quite a chaotic night.

But Richard didn’t seem to notice as he ran his hand in Lee’s hair, playing with it, a sheepish look on his face as he mumbled something.

“What was that?” Lee frowned, unconsciously tilting his head closer to Richard’s hand.

“I don’t know your number by heart.” Richard repeated, color rising to his cheeks. Lee gaped at him, his eyebrows raised. “I know, I know, I should know your number but I’m terrible at remembering those! And how would I know it anyway, I never dial it.”

“For emergencies, Richard!” Lee rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Don’t you know any number? The landline? Your parents’?”

Richard just shook his head. “Do you?” he asked dubiously.

Lee answered him by reciting Richard’s mobile number, their line in New York and the farm’s all in one breath. He had just started on his sister’s number when Richard interrupted him. “Alright, alright, I get it. I’m sorry. I will make sure to learn your number before I get out of this house again.”

Lee beamed at him and planted a wet kiss on the tip of Richard’s nose. It was still cold. He lifted one arm and wrapped it around Richard’s back, rubbing at his arm to warm him up. “How did you make it all the way here then?”

“I rented a car.”

“They let you?! In this weather?!”

“I offered them a safety deposit far bigger than required, and I may have used my name and profession in a way I never would under normal circumstances…” he trailed off.

Lee looked up and grinned. “Richard..? What did you do??”

Richard bit his lip. “Well, the woman in charge-”

“Oh dear,” Lee smirked. “Did you charm your way to a rental car?!”

“… Maybe?”

Lee laughed, shaking his head.

“It was the only way! No one in their right mind would have given me a car in this weather!” Richard argued. He had a point.

“What did you do to her?” Lee asked, amused and, if he was being honest with himself, a little jealous. Richard’s charms were very effective; Lee himself had rarely managed to resist him. He didn’t like the fact that his boyfriend had used them on someone else than him. But on the other hand, he was certain that Richard hadn’t promised that woman a week worth of blowjobs and other sexual favors to get his way, so he wondered how he had managed to convince her.

“She made me call her mum. Turns out she’s a big Hobbit fan.”

Lee stared at Richard for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. “Her mom?!”

“Yeah yeah, you make fun of me. But it got me here, right?” Richard gave him a pointed look.

“God bless her mom,” Lee agreed.

“So I got in the car and drove here as best as I could, sticking to the main roads that were slowly being cleared, and driving very very slow, which is why it took me so long to get here.” Richard explained.

Lee frowned. “You drove here? I didn’t see a car outside…”

Richard scratched his nose, suddenly embarrassed. “I left it on the side of the road a few miles away. The snow had become too thick. It wouldn’t go any further. It’s stuck. I just walked the rest of the way.”

Lee pulled away from Richard’s embrace to get a better look at him. “You walked?” he gaped, amazed and touched by so much effort and dedication.

“Well yeah, I wasn’t going to stay in the car and freeze to death until someone found me, was I?” Richard replied in a matter of fact tone.

“You walked.” Lee repeated, having a hard time registering the information. Something warm was spreading from his heart all through his body. “For how long?!”

“A few hours I think.” Richard shrugged, unwilling to make a big deal out of it, even though it obviously was to Lee. “I don’t know. I just wanted to get home. I didn’t have that many options, did I? I was cold. Walking helped. And I knew you were here on your own, probably a bit worried.”

“A bit worried?!” Lee exclaimed. “A BIT worried?! I was worried sick!! I called everyone we know, I called your parents! I even called the fucking airports! I watched the news all day and all night, dreading to hear about a plane crash, I- I-” Lee’s voice broke. He cleared his throat. “I thought you were mad and decided not to come back,” he finished in a small voice, looking down at his hands.

“Oh Lee, sweetheart, why would you think that?” Richard moved to pull the other man into a strong hug, stroking his hair and back.

Lee shrugged, feeling silly now for even thinking about it. Buried in the warmth of Richard’s body, the idea seemed preposterous. “The way you left the other morning. I know I was being childish. You were clearly annoyed.”

Richard sighed. “I was, but not at you. I was annoyed at having to leave, to work, when we should have been enjoying this little holiday together. I know what Christmas means to you, Lee. I knew you had it all planned for us, that you’d been looking forward to it for weeks. We get so little time off together, and there I was, choosing work over you. I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry you thought I was mad at you.”

Lee shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I should have offered to come with you. We could have stayed in England and celebrated Christmas with you parents like you wanted.”

“I want to spend Christmas with you, Lee, and no one else. We’ll visit my parents after New Year, like we said.”

Lee smiled, relieved. “You’re not mad you had to drag your old ass through that horrible weather because of me?”

Richard smiled fondly. “Not _because_ of you, Lee. _For_ you.”

Lee felt heat rush to his face and prickle at the back of his neck. He wrapped both arms around the other man’s neck and pulled him into a deep kiss that seemed to last forever, his fingers burying themselves in the thick, wet dark hair. He inhaled deeply, the smell that was only Richard’s filling his nostrils. He clung onto him for dear life, refusing to ever let go. He sighed as he felt Richard’s tongue against his, comforting, familiar. Soon they were lying on the couch, blanket forgotten on the floor, Richard on top, his hands buried under Lee’s thick jumper, craving the feel of his skin as much as its warmth.

Lee broke the kiss as something wet hit him between the eyes, and he looked up in surprise, searching for its source. Richard’s hair had completely defrosted now and was dripping onto Lee’s face. They broke into giggles and Lee gave him a quick, affectionate peck on the lips before pushing him off.

“Come on, let’s get you out of these clothes and into a warm shower, or you’ll catch your death.”

Richard groaned as he got up reluctantly. He bent down to pick up the blanket and wrapped it around himself and let it hang open from his shoulders. As he started making his way towards the stairs, a small voice called from behind him.

“Rich?”

Richard stopped and turned around, surprised to find Lee right behind him. “Yes?”

Lee was quiet for a moment, playing with the hem of Richard’s jumper. “Thank you,” he said in a quiet voice.

Richard lifted an enquiring eyebrow.

“For, you know…” he shrugged, struggling to find the right words. For coming back? Not giving up? Showing so much determination? No words could describe what he was feeling right now. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, Lee pulled him into another tight hug. “I love you.”

Richard smiled tenderly and kissed the corner of Lee’s mouth. “I know. I love you too.” He ran his fingers along the other man’s cheek, and Lee knew that Richard had understood.

They stood at the foot of the stairs for a while, enjoying the warmth of their embrace, the feeling of the other’s body pressed against their own. Richard sniffed and pulled away gently as another drop of water ran down his nose. “Now I think you mentioned a long, hot shower. How about you join me?”

A wolfish grin replaced the vulnerable expression on Lee’s face. “As if I was going to let you go on your own,” he winked, biting his lip. “You know me better than that.”

Richard smirked. They did tend to shower together whenever they had the chance. Lee liked to argue that it was for the good of the planet, that they were saving water. In truth, they always ended up spending much more time under the water than they would on their own, unable as they were to keep their hands off each other.

“Come on, baby,” Lee crooned. He reached for Richard’s hand, his thumb stroking the soft skin on the back as he pulled him towards the stairs. “I’ll take good care of you, I promise,” he drawled in that thick southern accent which he knew Richard secretly enjoyed. “I’ll warm you up properly…” he trailed off with a suggestive wink.

“You’re doing a pretty good job of it already,” Richard grinned. “The mere sight of you makes me hot,” he added, eyes fixed on Lee’s ass as he climbed the stairs behind him.

Heat flashed in Lee’s eyes and he shot up the stairs, dragging a laughing Richard behind him. They ran past the bathroom and straight to the bedroom. The shower could wait. They had more important things to do.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own either Richard or Lee, and mean no harm and offence to anyone. This is all for the sake of some holiday fluff.
> 
> Title comes from the eponymous song by Bing Crosby. Photos used in the collage are not mine, I found them on Google. All edits are mine though.


End file.
